Does a mirror make a room look bigger?

A mirror is only is good as the image it reflects.

I wanted to share this image with you of a room designed by Barry Dixon, hung with a beautiful mirror, as seen in the September 2011 issue of House Beautiful.  Three of the things that make this vignette so successful are that 1) the mirror is hung at a natural height for a person to look in to its center, 2) the mirror itself is a lovely piece of art due to its oval shape and ornate frame, and 3) that it is reflecting a beautiful piece of art and a well chosen hanging lamp and medallion.

Room by Barry Dixon as seen in House Beautiful Sep 2011

In my work I have encountered dozens of mirrors that were meant to 'open up a room', often hung over a fireplace.  But if you hang a mirror over your fireplace and all it reflects is your white, bare or (gasp) popcorn ceiling, then all you've done is add more unsightly space to the room.  It may seem bigger, but is that the 'more' that you want?  That was the case for the client with the living room in the photo below - when I first came to their home to redesign this living room with their existing furnishings they had just that, a large, unadorned mirror reflecting a lot of white ceiling:

They wanted a new tv so we removed the mirror and hung the tv over the fireplace, and also rearranged the furniture and replaced the too-small rug with the larger rug from the dining room along with new paint and updated lighting and window treatments.  While I would have loved to put a piece of art over the fireplace, function for the family is always a first priority!

When choosing to hang a mirror consider what it will reflect when you look at it from all parts of the room.  If it reflects a beautiful view or piece of art that you love, go for it!  If it's hung so high that it just reflects white ceiling you've lost an opportunity to add to your space.  Same goes for reflecting a long dark hallway - who needs more hallway?  In those instances consider, instead, a piece of art, maybe with a natural theme like a forest with dappled light coming through aspen trees or a sunny desert vista. 

And remember, if the room feels 'dark' but a mirror will only reflect more of that dark room, add real light with table and floor lamps.

If you have questions about when to hang a mirror or how high to hang it, don't hesitate to send me an email with a picture of your space and your question, at design@rivalee.com.  Happy decorating!

Why hire a designer? Article on working with Rivalee!

I don't mind tooting my own horn, but this time I get the pleasure of leaving that to journalist Elizabeth Griffin who wrote the following article about her experience working with me to transform her bedroom.  My favorite part about this transformation was that all we had to purchase was the paint and the fabric for the new curtain-headboard.  Everything else was already in the home, including the extra fabric to make the new throw and pillows for the bed.  The goal was to make the most of what she owned, including the quilted bedding, and stick to a cozy budget.  We did all that and had a lot of fun in the process!  Enjoy!

Before: faux painted walls were too pale to ground the room and pull the color out from the bedding.  The window behind the bed felt awkward, and the table lamps were too small.

After: a rich teal green anchors the room and brings out the green in the bedding.  The coral curtain eliminates the awkward window and ties to the rose colors in the bedding, further accented by the new pillows and larger, colorful lamps.  The rest of the accessories came from throughout the home, given new life through color and lack of clutter.

Bedroom transformation

From a converted two-car garage to a comfortable haven: working with a designer helped me create the bedroom I always wanted

By Elizabeth Griffin

Published: Tuesday, April 5, 2011 10:10 AM PDT

My bedroom is a converted two-car garage. Huge and awkwardly shaped, it has a total of five doors, all of which are used regularly to access places in our house and closets. I have tried to make it cozy by moving furniture around and faux painting, but have never been able to achieve the look I desired.

I have always been dubious of the claim that homeowners save money by using an interior designer. Now I see the benefit of getting it right the first time with the help of a professional. It really does save a lot of money and time, and it also helps you avoid the decorating burnout that dissatisfaction with your own choices can bring.

That burnout is what led to the mess that I called my bedroom. The place had become the dumping ground for many things in our house. Just the process of preparing for a designer to visit helped me get rid of a filing cabinet’s worth of old paperwork, treasures I have never used, and stuff that needed to be put in the attic. This alone made such a difference that I am listing it as the first reason that using a professional interior designer is a good idea.

Second on my list is the fact that within 15 minutes of walking around my bedroom and asking about the colors I like, Rebecca West, owner of Rivalee Design, told me exactly what we needed to do to give the room a cozy, warm atmosphere.

I moved from feeling ashamed to hopeful after that first consultation. “Most people live with bedrooms that aren’t what they want, and why? We wake up there and start our day there and we should love it!” West said.

She cut through my indecisiveness immediately, and, without pushing, showed me that the large windows on one wall provided enough light and the undersized, awkwardly placed window on another wall needed to be covered up. By making it disappear with a large floor-to-ceiling curtain, I had a lovely backdrop for my bed, which previously had been hard to place.

Another area of indecision and downright anxiety was overcome when West flipped through her wheel of paint colors and pointed to the perfect shade for the largest wall in the room — number three on my list is that professionals know which of 5 million color choices is the right one. Each color she chose matched a picture I showed her that included my favorite hues, which were bolder than I had the courage to use. Instead, I had decorated the room with lighter shades that left it washed-out and dreary.

“You can use color so successfully to make a big room feel cozy. A rich, dark color anchors the room,” West said.

After purchasing a gallon of the paint West recommended, I second-guessed the choice. West returned my worried e-mail with one that read, “It’s a scary color, always scary to go dark, but I am excited to see this come together for you! Make sure you do at least two coats so that you get the richness of the color coming through. Thanks for trusting me.” This is the fourth reason on my list of why to use an interior decorator. She gave me courage to keep moving in the right direction when I wanted to return to safe territory.

After completing the major work, it was time to “accessorize.” Using artwork and items that I already owned, West placed them in just the right location of the room to give them new life. I realized then that I should always go bigger and bolder than I feel comfortable with to make my décor work.

“Fewer things, but bigger, will be more successful,” West said. “Using lots of little items just turns into clutter.”

Repurposing the things that I love brought personal touches to an intimate room. Rather than taking over and doing it her way, West recognized my style and drew out of me what I really wanted all along but had been hesitant to do — reason number five to seek professional help in decorating. Because we worked together, I felt as much a part of the process as she was, and that gave me confidence for future decorating pursuits.

Basic factors in room design

Though each room is unique and the things to look at depend on the project, according to West, there are a few factors that go into every decorating renovation.

Use of the room: How do you really use the room and want to use the room, as opposed to how you think you should use the room? For example, do you want a home office in your bedroom or a television in your dining room? There is no reason to be stuck with the label of a room.

Mood desired: How do you want to feel when you’re in the room? This is where color and style come into play because they evoke the mood you want for yourself and others, depending on whether it’s a public or private space.

Decluttering: Get rid of the things that don’t belong in the room. Use fewer large objects rather than lots of little ones.

Putting the puzzle together: Once use and mood are determined and the space has been decluttered, it’s simply a matter of determining all the elements that need to go into the room, setting those up and creating it.

Figuring out the details: Accessorizing provides texture and interest. This is where the art comes in, according to West. You bring in a number of accessories and play with them, creating those personal touches that make a room feel complete. 

The right size rug for your room. Go big!

Area rugs are one of the very best tools to use to transform a room, second only to paint in making a big impact.  But that tool is only effective if you size the rug properly.  Often I find that my clients are living with a rug that is much too small for the space, and as a result no matter how many accessories they add the room won't ever feel quite finished.  If in doubt I always recommend going bigger.  Sure, it is more expensive, but a too-small rug only accentuates the unfinished feel of a room and you'd be better off not buying a rug at all until you can get the right size.  Otherwise, you may just be wasting your money.

Before: the rug in this room was much too small to add any interest, softness, or grounding to the space.  In a room that can't be painted (like this rental) the size and impact of the rug is even more important!

After: a much larger rug, even though it is still in a pale color palette, adds much more warmth to the space and, by tying all the furniture together makes the room feel larger, too! 

I'd like to share this fabulous guide from MI Corp. in the Seattle Design Center for sizing a rug for your room.